JANICE EATON: Derbies past and present

The Annual Senior Citizens Fishing Day is this Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.

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Neosho Daily News - Neosho, MO

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Posted Jun. 12, 2013 at 10:14 PM
Updated Jun 12, 2013 at 10:16 PM

Posted Jun. 12, 2013 at 10:14 PM
Updated Jun 12, 2013 at 10:16 PM

The Annual Senior Citizens Fishing Day is this Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. The event is for seniors aged 65 and up as well as the physically challenged of any age and is sure to be a fun morning. All fishing gear and bait is provided and no personal fishing gear is allowed. A free hot dog lunch will be served. The first 100 fishers will receive a free T-shirt at the Visitors Center. Volunteers for the event are most welcome and appreciated.

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The "Friends of the Neosho National Fish Hatchery" once again put on a successful and fun event for 521 registered children at the Annual Kids Fishing Day last Friday, making it the largest Kids Day yet with nearly 500 additional attendees of siblings, parents, staff and volunteers. By scheduling the morning and afternoon fishing sessions and having pre-registration, the event ran smoothly and safely, particularly with the aid of our "Friends" members, community volunteers, MDC, Lions Club, City of Neosho and our grand sponsors, without which none of these wonderful events would be possible. The fish cleaning station volunteers cleaned more than 2,000 fish under the leadership of Beth Persons.

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Local visitors of the week were the Clovis Dean Gentry family from Fairview. Mr. Gentry and grandson Jonathan Blewett were here for the fishing day. Mr. Gentry shared the following: "Reminds me of the exciting time when I went to the Neosho National Fish Hatchery fish derby as a youngster with my dad in the 1940s. I caught the first fish, but was on the wrong side of the raceway to get to the check-in point. I continued to rapidly catch trout; fish were flopping on the ground as dad tried to string them. I caught the last one of my limit and was so excited that I jerked it out of the water so hard that it went over my head and into the tree behind me. I turned around, jerked the fish out of the leaves, stepped back and fell into the raceway. I grabbed the stringer and pole with fish still on the hook, waded to the other side and climbed out. I ran to the check-in point but alas, was too late to win even the third place prize. Mom was not with dad and I, she was visiting with some other ladies, when she heard the splash she said, "Oh no! That is probably Dean that fell into the water." Guess she knew me pretty well." Mr. Gentry became an electrical engineer, served as an officer in the Air Force and worked with the McDonnell Douglas Corporation that developed the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from concept through full-scale development and into production. He currently lives on the farm that has been in his family since 1856. We are happy to report grandson Jonathan caught his limit Friday without incident.

Page 2 of 2 - Long distance visitor of the week was Mike Kough from Anchorage, Alaska.

Janice Eaton is the automation clerk at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery.